Cinderella: The Sailor Moon Fairy Tale
by Merrymary05
Summary: You know the story of Cinderella. This is the classic fairy tale with a new twist featuring our favorite characters from Sailor Moon.
1. Once Upon a Time

**Author's Notes: My favorite classic Disney movie of all time is definitely Cinderella. I bought it for myself for Christmas and then after watching it decided that I had to write a story. It's all finished on my word document except for some final editing, but I thought I'd post the first half and see what you think. This goes a bit differently than the Disney version, but the basic story is still the same. I really hope you like it. Happy reading!**

Once upon a time there lived good man named Kenneth Davidson and his kind wife Irene. They were well respected in the kingdom, but instead of fame they wanted a child. They prayed together every night to have a son or a daughter, but nothing came for a long time. Finally after years of trying and a difficult pregnancy, the couple's prayers were answered when they gave birth to a beautiful daughter named Serena. Unfortunately, Irene got sick soon after giving birth to Serena and died a few months later. Kenneth raised his only daughter as best her could and treated her kindly, but as she grew older he thought it was best for her to have a mother. He set out to marry again and ended up marrying a dignified woman named Beryl McFarland with 2 daughters named Rachel and Anna Claire who were around Serena's age (Rae and Ann for short). All three were beautiful in stature and put on an act in front of Kenneth, but they shared a cold heart and a nasty attitude behind his back. Kenneth treated each of the girls equally and often bought them whatever they wanted. Rae and Ann were greedy about their gifts, but Serena was grateful for whatever she got though she never asked for much. A few years passed and Kenneth suddenly fell ill. He knew he was dying so he called for Serena one last time. She came in the room quietly and sat by his bedside holding his hand.

"My dear Serena," he said smiling at her. "You know I love you so much, sweet princess."

Serena immediately knew where this was going as tears filled her eyes. "I love you too Daddy."

"I don't have much longer to live, but I want you to promise me something."

"Anything Daddy."

"Promise me that no matter what happens you will always remain kind and sweet to whoever you meet. You look so much like your mother and I just pray that you would carry her same spirit full of unending compassion and kindness."

"I promise, Daddy," Serena said with tears coming down her face. "I'm going to miss you." She cried into his chest and he rubbed her back soothingly.

"I'll always be with you in spirit. The angels will take care of you too."

Serena hugged him one last time. "I love you, Daddy," she whispered to him.

"I love you too, sweet…" His breathing got slower and he didn't get to finish his sentence before his heart finally gave up. Serena wept bitterly before delivering the news to her stepfamily.

*******

The funeral was short and sweet. A few people came to remember Kenneth Davidson's goodness and paid their respects as he was buried in the ground next to his wife. Everyone had left, but Serena stayed a while longer to pay proper respect to her parents. She was still crying as she laid the bouquet of roses at the grave. "I love you both so much," she said quietly. "I promise to make you proud." She said a short prayer and stood up to meet her stepmother and stepsisters.

Serena stepped into the carriage where they were waiting impatiently. "It's about time you got here," Rae the older stepsister said.

"Yeah, how long does it take to put some flowers in front of a grave," Ann said. Rae glared at her.

"Well I'm sorry to keep you all waiting," Serena said trying to wipe her tears away. The carriage started moving along the bumpy road.

"Make sure it never happens again," Lady Beryl said with disdain. "And stop that crying."

"Yes, Ma'am," Serena said quietly. She tried to stop crying, but she couldn't help the tears that fell from her eyes.

"Your father was a good man, but he spoiled you too much," Lady Beryl said disgustedly.

"He treated me as equally as Rae and Ann," Serena protested with tears straining her voice.

Lady Beryl smacked Serena across the face. "Do not argue with me! Make sure it never happens again. And as for that crying, when I tell you to do something I expect you to do it. Is that clear?"

Serena simply nodded as she rubbed her cheek and held back her tears. As soon as they got back to their home, Lady Beryl immediately began ordering Serena around. She took away her beautiful clothes and jewelry and gave her a raggedy dress instead. As time went on, Serena was treated like a slave in her own house being constantly mistreated and abused. She was forced to sleep in the attic by the fireplace where she was cleaned the cinders everyday. Her stepsisters constantly tormented her and even gave her the name "Cinderella" because she was often covered with dirt and the cinders that came from the fireplace. Even though Serena was dirty and wore raggedy clothes, Lady Beryl knew that she was more beautiful than her own daughters. Jealousy therefore pushed Beryl to treat her stepdaughter cruelly each and everyday for many years to come.


	2. A Pleasant Interruption

_Chapter 2_

The sun was beginning to rise and the sunlight hit Serena's face as she slept in the makeshift bed in the attic. A little black cat jumped onto her bed to wake her up. Serena opened her eyes when she heard the sound of the cat mewing gently by her ear. She smiled and pet the cat causing it to purr. "Thanks for waking me up, Luna," she said. Serena found the stray cat while doing some chores outside one day and kept her as a pet ever since. She got up, stretched, and then made her bed according to the same routine she was used to. She then got ready to take a quick bath before beginning her day.

Serena sang to herself as she lathered and rinsed her body of whatever traces of dirt that was left on her body. She continued humming to herself as she dried off and got dressed before sitting before a small mirror to brush her long hair. She barely got through a few strokes before the tower clock struck loudly. Serena gasped quietly because it startled her and then sighed. "I guess it's time to get started," she said to Luna. Luna meowed in approval as Serena quickly finished brushing her hair and tied it back with an old ribbon and bandana. She hurried down the stairs and Luna ran to keep up.

She entered the barn where she grabbed the bucket of corn so she could feed all of the animals on their little farm. "Breakfast is ready," Serena said as she poured the feed on the ground. Chickens came from around the corner and joined Luna eating eagerly. Serena smiled and made her way to the stable. The white horse saw her coming and neighed happily. "Good morning, Artemis," she said rubbing his mane gently. He rubbed his nose into her hands and Serena continued massaging his soft face. "Are you ready to eat?" He neighed again and Serena filled his box with the rest of the corn and some oats. "Enjoy," she said petting him one more time.

Serena put the bucket away and started walking to the water trough. She sighed when she realized it was empty and prepared herself to pick it up. She picked it up slowly and made her way to a well that wasn't too far away. She was struggling to hold onto the trough, but smiled when she glanced to see the well in sight until she slipped on a small rock. She mentally cursed her clumsiness and closed her eyes as she prepared for the fall to the ground. Serena heard the trough hit the ground and was ready to do the same, but it never happened. Instead she felt someone's strong arm wrap around her waist preventing her from pain. Serena opened her eyes and saw that she was a few feet away from the ground.

"Are you all right?" a deep voice said behind her. Serena froze in place as the arm around her pulled her to her feet. She turned around and dusted herself off before looking up at the stranger in front of her. The first thing Serena noticed was his intense blue eyes that were looking on her with concern. He also had black hair under a hat that fell messily into his face that she was tempted to fix. In short, he was a handsome man. "Are you all right?" he asked again.

Serena looked down towards the ground in embarrassment when she realized she was staring. "Y-yes," she said shyly playing with her fingers.

The man smiled at her, but Serena didn't see him. "You don't have to be afraid of me, you know," he said. Serena finally looked up at him again. "I was just passing through to get a drink of water and I happened to see you carrying that heavy trough."

Serena smiled gratefully. "Well thank you."

"Do you mind if I help you with this?" Before she had a chance to answer, he had already picked up the trough and lifted it onto his shoulder. She nodded and walked with him to the well. She noticed that he was dressed plainly and he had spots of dirt covering his face. He walked in a way that made it seem as though he were more than a simple peasant. "Why were you carrying this thing all by yourself?" He asked as he set it down beside the well.

"I always do," Serena said pulling the handle to raise the water bucket. "I don't want to have to waste time and drag buckets of water back and forth to the trough."

The stranger reached and pulled her hand away from the handle while she was talking. He held it a little longer than necessary feeling something special. "Allow me," he said gently after bringing himself back to reality. Serena blushed as he finally let go of her hand and turned the handle to let the bucket fill with water in the well. He turned the handle again and brought the bucket back up balancing it on the edge of the well. He reached inside and cupped his hands to take a drink. He raised his hands to his lips and took a long drink contently. "Would you like a drink?" he asked as he offered the bucket of water to her.

Serena was about to answer, but the faint sound of bells reached her ears. "No thank you," she said getting up to leave. "I have to go now." She ran off.

"Wait," the man said. He looked after her sadly. "I don't even know your name."


	3. The Stepfamily

_Chapter 3_

Serena ran towards the house as three bells got louder and louder. "Cinderella!" voices screamed from upstairs as she entered the house.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she muttered as she entered the kitchen. She hastily picked up the trays with the teacups on them and balanced one on her head and the other two on each hand.

"Don't balance that thing on your head, Serena," Lita the head cook warned. "Those trays are very hot." Lita cooked most of the meals for the family, but was never in the house except at meal times when she was preparing all the food. She spent most of the time buying proper ingredients for all of her dishes.

"There's no time to come back, Lita," Serena said as she carefully exited the kitchen. "You know how they get." Lita shook her head. Serena went up the stairs as fast as she could, but stopped when one of her shoes fell off. She went back for it and slipped it back on before heading up the rest of the stairs.

"Cinderella!" Ann's voice screamed through the door.

Serena set two of the trays down on the table in the hall and carried one into Ann's room. "I'm here." She set the tray on Ann's bedside table slightly out of breath. "Good morning, Ann. Did you have a good night's sleep?"

Ann crossed her arms. "It took you long enough," she said impatiently. "See that pile of clothes over there?" she said pointing to a pile of clothes in the corner of the room. "I'm gonna need those ironed in an hour."

"Yes, Ann," Serena said picking up the pile of clothes and exiting the room. She set the pile down and picked up another tray of tea before entering Rae's room. "Good morning, Rae." She greeted as she set the tea on her bedside table.

"You need to get here sooner," Rae said coldly. Serena went to leave, but Rae's voice stopped her. "Hold it! You need to sew those clothes in the basket."

Serena looked at the large pile of clothes in the basket and sighed. "Yes, Rae," she said before picking up the basket and exiting the room. She set the basket of clothes beside Ann's pile and picked up the last tray of tea. She straightened her clothes before entering her stepmother's room slowly. "Good morning, Stepmother," Serena said quietly.

"You're late!" Lady Beryl's shrill voice said as Serena set her tea on the table beside her bed. "Did you attend to your stepsisters' needs?"

"Yes, Stepmother," Serena said. Suddenly Ann and Rae burst into their mother's room.

"Cinderella, you forgot my sugar!" Rae screamed in Serena's face.

"And my cup is not clean enough!" Ann shouted.

"I'm sorry," Serena said quietly.

"Don't dawdle. Fix your mistakes!" Lady Beryl said coldly.

Serena left the bedroom and went downstairs to get the sugar and a clean cup for her stepsisters. "What's wrong now?" Lita asked when she came into the kitchen.

"Rae didn't have sugar and Ann's cup wasn't clean enough," Serena said quickly as she gathered the sugar and the cup.

"That's bull and they both know it," Lita muttered as she continued cooking and Serena rushed out of the kitchen.

Serena returned to her stepmother's bedroom and gave the proper items to her stepsisters. "Hmph!" Rae said as she stormed out of the room.

"Should have gotten it right the first time," Ann said following her sister.

"Close the door, Cinderella," Lady Beryl's voice said from the bed. Serena obeyed and walked back to her stepmother's bed. "It seems as though you're slacking on your duties."

Serena frowned knowing that her stepsisters probably made it look like she did wrong on purpose. She knew what was coming next. "I didn't mean to…" Serena started.

"Silence!" Lady Beryl shouted. "Do not backtalk me. As I was saying, it seems you are slacking off on your duties and the only way to learn to do better is to get more responsibility. I'm gonna need you to clean the large carpet in the main hall, wash all the windows both upstairs and downstairs, do the tapestries and draperies…"

"I did those yesterday."

"Well do it again and stop interrupting me!" Beryl screamed. "You're also to scrub the garden terrace, sweep the halls and stairs, clean the chimneys, and then the laundry, the ironing, and the sewing. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Stepmother," Serena said sadly before bowing and exiting the room. She moved quickly past her stepsisters who were listening at the door and went downstairs. She sunk into a chair in the den and sighed heavily. She wanted to cry because of all the anger she held in for being treated as if she were worthless, but held back in fear of being caught "slacking on her chores." She grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and shakily wrote a list of everything she needed to do for the day.

_To do:_

_Clean the large carpet in the main hall  
__Wash the windows  
__Do the tapestries and draperies  
__Weed the garden  
__Scrub the terrace  
__Sweep the halls and stairs  
__Clean the chimneys  
__Laundry, ironing, sewing._

Serena sighed and frowned remembering that she had to fill the water trough before taking it back to its rightful place and probably clean it as well. "I'll just add it to the list," she whispered quietly. She folded the paper and placed it in her apron pocket before heading out the door. _It's so unfair_ she thought sadly as she stepped outside and tears finally fell from her face.


	4. A New Friend

_Chapter 4_

Serena's spirits were lifted when she walked in the sunshine towards the well, but she still felt a little sad. When she got to the well, she gasped when she saw the water trough was missing. Serena frowned as more tears fell from her eyes. _Wonderful,_ she thought sadly to herself. _Now the animals have no where to drink water. _She headed back to the house and was about to go back inside until Luna tugged at her ankle. "What is it, Luna?" Luna ran towards the back of the house and Serena followed. Luna led her to the barn and Serena gasped in surprise when she saw the water trough filled with water. She walked closer to it and found that it also had been cleaned. Serena wiped her eyes and smiled. "How sweet," she said aloud. The man she met earlier was hiding in the bushes watching her with a smile seeing that she was happy, but Serena didn't notice. A bell was heard and she rushed back to the front of the house while the stranger frowned.

Serena went back inside the house and found her stepmother and stepsisters standing in front of the stairs. "Haven't you started your chores yet?" Lady Beryl asked.

"I was taking care of something at the barn," Serena said quietly.

Lady Beryl rolled her eyes. "Well stay focused. The girls and I are going into town to buy a few items. You had better be finished with all of your chores when we get back."

"That includes ironing my clothes, Cinderella." Ann added.

"And sewing mine," Rae said snottily.

_I'm not stupid _Serena thought, but she held back from saying anything and nodded as they went out the front door to their carriage. She headed to the main hall and rolled up the large carpet. She carried it under her arm and grabbed a broom before going outside to hang it on the clothesline. She took the broom and beat the dust out of the carpet vigorously. She found that beating the carpet was a vessel to let out all of the anger and frustration she felt and beat it even harder. She breathed heavily and took a break from cleaning for a moment to catch her breath and wipe the sweat that had formed on her face.

"Be careful," a familiar voice said behind her. "You're going to wear yourself out," Serena turned around quickly and felt afraid. He was holding her list of chores in his hands. "Do you have to do all of this today?" Serena nodded slowly, suddenly embarrassed by dropping her list and to have been seen expressing her anger. "By yourself?" Serena nodded again. The man read over the list again. "That's absurd!"

"I have to," Serena explained. "If I don't, Stepmother will be mad and…" She suddenly felt dizzy and was breathing even harder than before. She grabbed her head and tried to keep her balance.

"Are you all right?" the man asked her with growing concern.

Serena's vision was getting blurry. "I…I'm fine," she said slowly before passing out and falling to the ground.

The man rushed towards her and caught her before she had a chance to hit the ground. He carried her and set her upright against a tree before taking off his hat to fan her. "Please wake up…" he said urgently. He suddenly heard the sound of horses' hoofs hitting the ground getting louder and louder. He moved Serena behind the tree and hid with her as a carriage came to a stop in front of the rug. He continued to fan her when he heard voices coming from the carriage.

"Where is that Cinderella?" he heard an older woman's voice say. "She should be cleaning that carpet not leaving it hanging around."

_Cinderella?_ The man thought confusedly looking towards Serena. _What a strange name._

"She's probably slacking on her chores again," he heard a younger girl's voice say.

"She's so useless," another girl's voice said.

The man was appalled by the way these girls were talking about the young woman beside him. _How rude_ he thought angrily to himself.

"Girls," the older woman was saying. "You shouldn't talk that way. Only I can. We'll just deal with this later. Let's be on our way." The carriage moved forward and soon exited the gate.

The man couldn't believe his ears. This Cinderella girl was so sweet and yet they treated her like garbage. "Are they gone?" he heard a weak voice say. He looked down and saw that she had awakened.

"Thank goodness," he said with relief. He helped her stand up. "You scared me half to death when you fainted. Are you all right?"

Serena nodded. "I have to get back to my chores…"

"No," the stranger interrupted. "You need to rest first. Have you eaten anything yet?"

"I don't have time to eat when there are so many chores to do," Serena said embarrassedly.

"You were working much too hard to be on an empty stomach," he scolded gently. "Come eat." He headed towards the house and let himself inside. Serena followed quickly getting scared about the consequences of being caught with a stranger in the house.

"You can't just let yourself in someone's house," Serena said following him into the kitchen. They walked in and found Lita looking at the two of them in confusion.

"Is there any food around here?" the man asked Lita. "This young woman needs a decent meal before she can work on her tasks for the day."

"I saved a plate for her in the cupboard," Lita said skeptically. "Who in the world are you?"

"He saved my life twice," Serena explained. "He caught me when I tripped carrying the water trough to the well and he caught me when I fainted a few minutes ago."

Lita gasped. "You fainted? How many times do I have to tell you not to work on an empty stomach? Hurry up and eat something." She walked towards the back door but stopped and looked back at the stranger. "You'd better take care of her or my fist will be in your mouth." With that she exited leaving the two of them alone.

Serena went to the cupboard and got the plate of food before sitting down to eat. It was a full plate of bacon, sausage, eggs and a biscuit. "Would you like any um…? I'm sorry, but what is your name?"

"No thank you. My name is Dar...erm, Derek," he said correcting himself. He didn't want to give away his true identity just yet. "And your name is…?"

"Cinderella," Serena blurted out. She didn't want to tell him her real name because she wasn't sure she could trust him quite yet, but she did not mean to say that dreaded nickname.

"That's what that woman in the carriage called you," Derek said with concern while she ate. Serena nodded and looked down. "You heard that and everything else those girls were saying, didn't you?" He took her long silence as confirmation. "Do they always talk about you like that?"

Serena nodded. "Every single day," she said brokenly. "They just don't care."

Derek placed a hand on her shoulder and made her look up at him. He frowned when he realized she was crying. "I apologize for upsetting you, Cinderella." he said quietly.

Serena smiled as she wiped her eyes. Somehow when he called her Cinderella it didn't sound so bad. It sounded almost pleasant. "Don't worry about it. I think it's about time I get my chores done."

"No," Derek said firmly. He took out her list and read over it. "I will not allow you to do all these tasks by yourself. I am going to help you."

"Oh, Derek I can't ask you to do that…" Serena started.

"You didn't ask. I volunteered."

Serena sighed in surrender. "All right. What's next on the list?"

Derek looked down at the piece of paper in his hands. "I think you've cleaned the carpet enough," he said with a smile.

Serena let out a small laugh as they walked outside to where the carpet was hanging. "It still has to be brushed," she said picking up the carpet brush.

"May I?" he asked before she handed him the brush. He started brushing the carpet in all sorts of directions a bit gruffly.

Serena laughed again. "Not so hard, Derek. You'll ruin the threads."

"Show me how it's done," Derek said with interest. Serena smiled and took the brush from him. She brushed the carpet gently in an organized way showing him how to do it properly. Derek was half paying attention and spent more time looking at her. _So beautiful._ She handed the brush back to him and he brushed the carpet more gently that time earning a smile from Serena. She was so grateful to have company who seemed to enjoy working with her for once.

*******

The chores on the list were getting done in record time. After finishing the carpet, Serena and Derek finished the outdoor chores together. Derek proved to be wonderful company and constantly asked questions about her and seemed genuinely interested in her. At the same time, the garden was weeded, the terrace was cleaned spotless, and the outside windows were sparkling in the sunshine. "Now for the inside," Serena said. They started cleaning the windows downstairs and Derek noticed a pattern. The windows were already clean. They soon went upstairs to begin work on more windows.

Serena pulled all the draperies back and began cleaning the windows again. "All these windows are spotless," Derek said. "And so are the draperies and tapestries."

"They have to be cleaned," Serena said warningly. Derek took the hint and began cleaning the windows quietly. The tapestries and draperies were cleaned along the way and then they swept the floors and halls in record time. Serena took the list from Derek's hands and sighed heavily.

"Are you all right, Cinderella?" Derek asked.

"I'm just tired," she stated. "All that's left is cleaning the chimneys and the laundry, ironing, and sewing."

"I can try to do that while you take a nap," Derek offered.

"Try?" she said skeptically. He shrugged. She looked up and smiled at him. "I think I can handle the laundry, ironing, and sewing. You really don't have to stay and clean the chimneys. It's a very dirty job."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"Oh no," Serena said quickly. "I mean, only if you want to. You don't have to feel obligated to stay. I'm sure you have other things to do than spend time with someone like me." She muttered the last part so he wouldn't hear her. She got up and headed to the closet where the chimney brushes were.

Derek stopped her and made her look at him. He smiled at her. "It's been a joy working with you today. I'm going to help you with these chimneys whether you like it or not."

Serena smiled as she handed one of the brushes to him. She led him to Ann's room with the ash bucket. "Oh," she suddenly said when they walked to the chimney. "I forgot the rags. Can you get started without me?"

Derek nodded and was about to say something else, but Serena went out of the room too quickly. _How hard can it be?_ He slid the brush up the chimney carefully and brushed slowly. He was proud of himself as ash fell from the chimney in little pieces. Feeling overconfident, he brushed a little faster until he heard pebbles falling. Before he knew it, a whole pile of ash fell on him covering his whole head black. He heard laughing and turned to find Serena standing in the doorway.

Serena wiped her eyes of the tears that formed from laughing so hard. She couldn't hold back the small giggles that escaped her lips as she caught sight of the helpless look on Derek's face. "Good thing I brought extra rags." Serena took the brush from him and cleaned the chimney with ease before looking at him again. "You've never swept a chimney before, have you?"

Derek finished wiping his face and shook his head no. She motioned for him to come closer and made him shake all of the soot from his hair into the bucket. She made him look up at her and she combed his dirty hair out of his face. "Can you show me how it's done?" Serena smiled and gently obliged.

*******

Serena and Derek were in the bathroom downstairs filling the tub with water to do the laundry. Serena was feeling very tired all of a sudden, but forced herself to keep going anyway. "Cinderella, are you all right?" Derek asked noticing her eyes drooping.

"I'm fine," Serena said as she turned off the water. "I'm going to get the clothes." Derek nodded though unconvinced of Cinderella being all right. Serena gathered the laundry and took a seat in a chair for a moment before bringing the clothes to the bathroom. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "I'll just rest my eyes for a moment," she muttered sleepily to herself.

Cinderella had not returned to the bathroom with the clothes and Derek was getting worried. He left the bathroom and walked inside the den. "Cinderella where…?" He stopped and smiled when he saw her asleep on the chair with the basket of laundry in her lap. He picked up the basket quietly. "Sweet dreams."

*******

Serena opened her eyes when she felt something rub against her hand. She looked down and smiled faintly when she saw Luna in her lap. "Luna." She scratched Luna behind her ears as she purred to gather her thoughts. The last thing she remembered was carrying the laundry to the bathroom. Serena suddenly panicked and moved to get up quickly.

"Cinderella you're awake," Derek's voice said behind her. "Did you have a good nap?"

Serena rubbed her eyes. "How long was I sleeping?" she asked quickly. "Oh, I have to get the laundry done before…"

"Cinderella, relax," Derek commanded gently. "All of the clothes are clean. All you have to do is hang them to dry."

"Oh," Serena said softly. "Thank you."

Derek knelt beside her and took her hands into his. "I must leave now. I've left some soup and a sandwich in the kitchen for supper. Promise me you'll eat it before you do anything else." He caressed her hands for a moment.

"I promise," Serena said with a frown. "I'll miss you, Derek. Thank you for all your help today."

Derek stood up and let go of her hands slowly. "Until next time, Cinderella." He smiled and nodded his head to her before putting his hat on and exiting the front door.

Serena continued sitting in the chair for a moment unconsciously caressing her hands the same way Derek did. She still hardly knew anything about him, but she knew that she trusted him as the closest friend she ever had next to Luna. She shook her head and stood up to get the wet laundry. She distracted herself by hanging the clothes on the clothesline and tried to convince herself that she would never see Derek again. She learned since her father died that each time something good happened to her it would end up crumbling as fast as it came. Serena decided to let the pleasant memories of spending time with Derek linger in her head as she sung a song and finished the remaining chores.


	5. Quality Time

_Chapter 5_

The next day, Serena started the day with her normal routine of feeding the animals before attending to her stepfamily's needs. She was singing to herself as headed back to the house before they had a chance to ring their bells for her and was about to pass the well until a voice stopped her. "You have a lovely voice," a male voice said.

Serena immediately stopped singing and turned towards the well. She smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. "You scared me, Derek. What are you doing here?"

"I needed a drink," he said simply as he smiled at her. "But I also had to see you again."

Serena blushed. "That's very kind of you, but you have to get out of here before Stepmother or my stepsisters see you."

"Why would it be a problem for your stepmother or your stepsisters to see you?" Derek asked curiously. Serena looked down as realization dawned on him. _The women in the carriage._ "Your own family treats you like a slave? But why?"

A bell was heard in the distance. "I have to go." She ran off and into the house.

*******

Serena came back outside with her list of chores to do. Thankfully there wasn't as much as the day before, but it was still hard work. Today she was assigned the task of cleaning the barn and the stable along with all of the horses. And as usual she also had more laundry, sewing, and ironing to do. "So?" Derek's voice said as she passed the well. "What's on the list today?"

Serena smiled. "Derek you really shouldn't stay. I don't know what will happen if Stepmother sees you."

"She won't see me," he said firmly. "I'll stay outside out of sight. I really enjoyed helping you yesterday."

"You really enjoyed spilling soot all over your head?" Serena asked skeptically. Derek blushed and she laughed. "All right, you can help. I don't really like cleaning the barn out anyway. It smells awful."

Serena and Derek immediately got to work cleaning out the barn. They gathered all of the animals outside and tied them down before shoveling out the dirty hay and poop. The dirty hay was burned and then they scrubbed the walls of the barn before setting new hay inside. They walked to the stable and repeated the same process. "Now we have to clean the horses," Serena stated once they finished the stable. They filled buckets with soap and water. "They're all very friendly, but Artemis is the one we need to worry about. He's the horse that takes the family everywhere so we have to clean him spotless."

"How hard can it be?" Derek said as he carried the water trough towards the stable. Serena carried the buckets of water. Serena patiently took off all of the horses' horseshoes and began scraping all of the dirt from between the grooves. Derek followed suit and helped Serena along. After finishing the horseshoes, they began washing each of the horses from mane to tail. Artemis was the last horse to be cleaned.

"Artemis, we have a visitor," Serena said petting his head. Derek set the trough behind him and tried to scrub Artemis' legs while Serena worked on his head. Artemis was not cooperating with Derek and kept moving his legs.

Derek sighed in frustration. "I thought you said all the horses were friendly."

Serena smiled. "Depending on the day, Artemis can be a little stubborn." Artemis neighed as though he were agreeing with her. "Artemis, let Derek clean your legs."

Artemis finally stopped moving and let Derek clean him. He began to feel comfortable with Derek until they had to clean him a second time. Derek accidentally touched a sensitive spot on one of Artemis' hind legs and on instinct he kicked him. He yelled out before falling backwards into the water trough. Serena immediately stopped what she was doing to help him. She pulled him up as he sputtered all over the place. "Just when I thought we were friends," Derek muttered when he caught his breath.

"I'm so sorry, Derek. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Derek said. "No harm done."

"You're dripping wet," Serena said. She tried to look away from his chest when she noticed that the wet white shirt he was wearing outlined his toned torso and chest area. "Let me get you some dry clothes before you catch cold."

Derek sat on a stool shivering while Serena ran towards the house again. Artemis walked up to him and neighed gently rubbing his head against his arm. "Yeah, I'm sorry too," Derek said as he pet the horse.

Serena returned with a dry tunic, a dry pair of pants, a thin wire, and some clothespins. "I hope these fit you," she said quietly handing them to him. "They were my father's. It's all I have."

Derek smiled gratefully at her. "I'll make it work." He went behind the stable to change clothes while Serena set up a makeshift clothesline in the sunlight for Derek's clothes. Serena finished cleaning Artemis as Derek returned with wet clothes in his hands. "It's a perfect fit," he said hanging his clothes up. "Thank you, Cinderella."

"Y-you're welcome," Serena said as her breath caught in her throat. Seeing Derek wearing her father's clothes made it seem as though he were standing right in front of her. She held back the tears that were threatening to escape her eyes.

"Are you hungry, Cinderella?" Derek asked gently distracting Serena from her thoughts.

"I still have to do the sewing, ironing, and laundry," Serena said sadly.

Derek frowned. "I'm not letting you skip another meal and risk a repeat of yesterday. Wait here." Serena sighed and smiled while Derek ran into the forest and came back with his own horse. It was a beautiful black horse with a shiny coat despite the dirt that covered it. "This is Dupree," Derek said as he led the horse next to Serena. "He's a stubborn old thing, but the best horse I could ever have."

Serena smiled as she pet Dupree's long nose. Dupree nuzzled closer to Serena immediately feeling comfortable with her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dupree."

Derek pulled out a long wrapped sandwich from the carryall bag hanging from Dupree's saddle. "Where would you like to eat?"

"Here on the grass is fine," Serena said as they sat down together. Derek broke the sub down the middle and gave Serena one half. "I can't stay for long or else Stepmother will get suspicious."

"Why do you put up with that woman anyway?" Derek asked as he took his first bite. "Can you not just run away?"

"Where would I go?" Serena said after chewing her food. "I don't really have much of a choice. And I promised father I would treat her and my stepsisters kindly no matter what."

"I guess that is a noble reason," Derek said thoughtfully.

They continued eating together in peace until Serena had to get back to the house to finish the rest of her chores. "Thank you again for helping me. Are your clothes dry?"

"They're dry enough," Derek said handing her father's clothes to her. "Thank you for your kindness, Cinderella. Until next time."

He rode away on Dupree and Serena sighed after him. _How was I blessed enough to meet someone like him?_ Serena sighed again and headed back to the house.


	6. Bonding

_Chapter 6_

Derek ended up visiting Serena at least three times a week for the next few weeks. He continued helping her with her outdoor chores and they always shared a brief lunch together. Derek was surprised one day when Serena did not greet him at the well with a smile on her face. When she came back outside, he grew more concerned when he saw her looking down with a hand on her face. He grabbed her gently by the shoulders when she reached the well and made her look up at him. He got worried when he saw tears in her eyes and a big red mark on her face "Cinderella, what happened?"

Serena could no longer hold back her tears and threw herself into Derek's chest before weeping bitterly. Derek rubbed her back soothingly and led her to a seat in the stable as she continued crying. "I'm really sorry," Serena mumbled when her crying subsided. She continued leaning on his chest as he continued holding her.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Derek said gently. "Tell me what's bothering you."

More tears filled Serena's eyes. "Today is the anniversary of Father's death. I wanted to visit his grave, but Stepmother wants me to do chores instead. I started crying in front of her and she slapped me telling me not to act like a baby." Serena wept again.

Derek hugged her tightly and let her cry it out. He was angry with this woman he never met, but held his composure for Cinderella's sake. "You deserve time to grieve and heal. I shall do all of your chores today."

"Oh Derek," Serena said looking up at him. "I couldn't ask you to do that."

"You didn't ask me; I offered willingly." He unconsciously stroked her hair. "I'll take extra precaution so that I won't be seen."

Serena smiled and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much, Derek."

"It's my pleasure. What must be done today?"

"I was supposed to gather firewood and cut it to prepare for winter. It takes just about all day."

"Then it shall be done," Derek said resolvedly. "Where do you keep the axe?" Serena stood up and showed him where it was. "I shall return soon. Do not lift a finger." Serena smiled and nodded as he walked into the forest with the axe over his shoulder.

Serena spent her time alone journaling as she always did remembering her father and the happy times she spent with him. Tears fell down her face as she finally closed the journal and put it back in her apron. She kneeled in front of the stool she was sitting on and covered her face with her hands. "Dear God, it's so hard," she began praying. "You see how they constantly treat me. It's so unfair!" She sighed. "I don't want to spend the whole time complaining so I will thank you instead. Thank you for providing a house for me to live in and food to eat. Even if they don't love me, thank you for the family I have. Thank you for the kind maids who encourage me everyday…"

*******

Derek was walking out of the forest with a large pile of wood in his arms. He dropped them in front of the stump he planned to use to chop it and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. He looked up and saw Serena kneeling in front of a stool and ran to help thinking she was in trouble. When he got closer, he discovered that she was in the middle of a prayer.

"…and thank you once again for bringing Derek into my life," he heard her say. "He's been so helpful and I'm so glad to have a friend like him. Please bless him and protect him as he continues working."

Derek smiled and knelt beside her. "And thank you, Lord, for allowing me the honor of meeting Cinderella," he prayed. Serena looked up startled but bowed down again when she realized it was Derek. "Please bless her life greatly and give her strength to face each new day. Amen." They both looked up and smiled at each other.

"Can I get you a drink of water?" Serena asked noticing his flushed looking face. "It's the least I can do for you."

"That would be lovely," Derek said following her to the well. He plopped down on the grass and wiped his face with a handkerchief as Serena gathered the water into a bucket for him. Serena held a full bucket of water in front of him and Derek took it gratefully. "Thank you so much," he said before drinking greedily from the bucket. He sighed contently after drinking half the water from the bucket and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "Are you feeling better, Cinderella?"

Serena nodded before taking a seat next to him. "A little bit," she said honestly. "I should be back to myself in the morning."

"I'm glad," Derek said proudly. "I really did not like seeing you so upset. It broke my heart."

"I didn't mean to cry all over you," Serena said shyly.

"It was no trouble at all," Derek said dismissively.

A comfortable silence fell between the two of them. "I think I'm up to chopping the wood," Serena suddenly said.

"Oh no, you don't," Derek protested. "I promised that I would take care of your chores for the day and I intend to keep my word."

Serena sighed in defeat. "All right," she said as he stood up. "Just be careful." Derek nodded and walked to the tree stump where he began chopping all the wood. Serena journaled again, but this time the entry was filled with thoughts about Derek. Before she knew it, Derek had finished chopping all the wood and tied it all in neat bundles.

"All done," he said wiping his face again.

Serena smiled at him gratefully. "Would you like another drink of water?" He nodded and she lowered the bucket into the well. She raised it back up and handed the bucket to him. "There you are."

"I appreciate it," Derek said before gulping down more water. "I'll carry the wood to the house and then I must leave."

"You don't have to, Derek," Serena said gently. "Just go home and get some rest. You've done more than enough today."

"I insist," Derek said standing up. Serena obliged and allowed Derek to carry the bundles of wood to the front of the house. He set it down in front of her and stared at Serena in the sunset for a moment. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes, Derek. Thank you…for everything."

He tipped his hat to her. "Until next time, Cinderella." He walked back to the forest to get Dupree and Serena carried the wood inside the house. Unknown to her, someone was watching from an upstairs window.

*******

Serena finally got ready for bed after a long day and prepared to go to sleep until a knock was heard on her door. _Who could that be?_ Serena wondered as she got up to answer the door. She opened the door and was surprised to see Rae standing in front of her in her nightgown. "Did I forget to do something for you, Rae?"

Rae shook her head and entered Serena's room cautiously. "I know this is unusual, but I wanted to check on you and make sure you were all right."

Serena wasn't sure what to think. "I'm fine," Serena said timidly. "Why are you so curious?"

Rae sighed. "You seemed very upset when you left to do your chores after Mother told you that you couldn't visit your father's grave." Serena looked down uncomfortably. "I know what it's like, you know, to lose your father. I don't know what I'd do if I weren't allowed to visit mine."

Serena looked up at Rae appreciating the genuine concern that she was showing her for once. "Well, I made it through the day all right. Thank you for caring."

Rae smiled suddenly. "It couldn't have been too hard to make it through the day with a handsome man by your side." Serena froze in place. "I saw you with him before you brought the firewood in, but don't worry I won't tell Mother."

"I appreciate that," Serena said with quiet relief.

"How long have you been seeing him?" Rae asked with genuine interest. "How did you meet? Is he sweet and kind?" Rae continued shooting a hundred questions a minute as Serena attempted to answer each one carefully. She had no idea that her stepsister was such a hopeless romantic and was grateful for the moment she was having with her.

"You'd better get to bed before Stepmother catches you with me," Serena said with care.

"I will, but I have one more thing to ask you before I leave." Rae suddenly looked down and played with a piece of her nightgown. "Can you take me to the market tomorrow?"

"I can go by myself and get whatever you need," Serena offered.

"No, I want to come with you," Rae said still looking down. "There's someone I would like to see there."

"Who?" Serena asked with growing curiosity.

Rae finally looked up at Serena with a blush on her face. "His name is Chadwick. He's a musician who plays in the center of town everyday and I think I've fallen for him. I've been seeing him every time we go to the market." Rae continued to describe the man that she seemed to care about so much.

Serena smiled at her when she finally finished her rant. "I'll gladly take you," she said seriously.

Rae smiled broadly and gripped Serena's hands tightly. "Oh thank you, Serena, thank you," she said jumping up and down. She left the room excitedly and closed the door behind her. Serena couldn't help the smile that grew on her face as she went to bed filled with excitement for her stepsister.


	7. Adventure in the Market

**Author's notes: I'm glad that people are reading and enjoying this story so far. Here are a few more chapters.**

_Chapter 7_

The next day, Serena went to the well but frowned when she found a note attached to the bucket handle. She took it off and read it carefully.

_Cinderella,_

_I apologize for not being able to see you today. I am afraid I may not see you again for a while. My family is facing a crisis and I must stay home with them. Do not think I have abandoned you. You are one of the best things to ever happen to me. Stay safe. Until next time._

_Derek_

Serena's heart broke, but she held back her tears until after she attended to her stepfamily's needs for the morning. Stepmother allowed her to take Rae to the market unsupervised and she was relieved. She entered the carriage after Rae and sat across from her. The carriage began moving and Rae looked up at Serena. "What's the matter, Serena?" she asked with concern.

She showed Rae Derek's letter and began to cry as she read it. "I'm going to miss him so much. He's the best friend I've ever had."

Rae folded her arms after giving Serena the letter back. "Are you sure that he isn't more than a friend?" she asked bluntly.

Serena thought about it for a moment. "Maybe," she said softly.

"I think it's love," Rae said. "I saw the way he was looking at you. He'll come back to you if it's true love."

Serena nodded and looked out the window. She never thought of the possibility that she may have fallen in love with Derek. If she wasn't in love with him, then why did it hurt so much when she found out what he said in the note? _I guess I have fallen in love with him. _Even with this new revelation Serena wasn't sure if she believed what Rae said about him coming back. _It's just too good to be true._

*******

Serena and Rae made it to the market within the next half hour. "A frown really doesn't look right on you," Rae commented as they exited the carriage. Serena looked at her in confusion. "Ann said that once and now I think it's true. Come on," she said taking her hand. "Chad will at least make you laugh." Rae led the way through the crowd to the center of town. She stopped suddenly and stared at a man playing guitar by the fountain. "There he is," Rae said excitedly.

Serena took a good look at the musician strumming away at his guitar. He was much different from the dream man that Rae described so long ago. He had long brown hair and a scruffy face. It was hard to tell how his body was built because he was sitting down, but the music he played was beautiful. "He seems charming," Serena said.

"Oh he is," Rae said giddily. They walked closer to him and were in front of him as he finished singing his song. "Hello Chad," Rae said as she curtsied in front of him.

"How many times must I tell you there's no need for formalities, Rae-Rae?" Chad said endearingly. "It's only me."

Rae blushed. "It's just force of habit. I want you to meet my stepsister, Serena."

Serena half bowed in front of him. "I've heard a lot about you," she said as she shook his hand.

"Is this the same stepsister I saw you yelling at to carry all of your shoes?"

Rae blushed in embarrassment. "I was wrong. We came to an understanding last night."

"Well you should treat her right," Chad exclaimed. "She's really pretty. She could get a man like me to fall for her."

"Excuse me?" Rae said with hands on her hips. Serena giggled at her stepsister's antics. "It's not funny, Cinderella!" Serena stopped giggling.

"I was just kidding you, Rae-Rae," Chad said quickly taking her hands into his own. "No one's more beautiful than you are and you've already stolen my heart."

Rae relaxed and smiled at him. "You need to warn me next time. You know I don't have a lot of patience for jokes like that."

"But that's what I like about you, Rae-Rae." Chad said gently. Serena watched the couple flirt happily. She felt a little hurt, but tried to hide it. "Why are you looking so glum, Serena?"

"She fell in love," Rae said excitedly. "But she found out she's not going to see him for a while."

Chad frowned. "How sad," he said picking up his guitar again. "It sounds like you need a song to cheer you up."

"I'd appreciate that," Serena said.

Chad started playing a simple melody before singing. "Oh Serena, you're not a ballerina." Serena smiled. "You're so pretty today, but not like my Rae-Rae." He winked at Rae causing her to laugh. "Cheer up my friend, it's not the end. Just wear a smile and you will make it for a while." He strummed a final chord and earned applause from Rae and Serena.

"Thank you so much, Chad," Serena said genuinely. "You've made my day."

Chad bowed humbly. "That's what I live to do."

Serena looked at the time on the big clock and gasped. "We'd better get going," she said.

Rae frowned and sighed. "I guess you're right. I don't want you in trouble with Mother because of me." She looked at Chad. "I'll miss you."

Chad took her hand in his and kissed it. "I'll miss you more, but I'll see you again soon." Rae nodded slowly.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Chad."

"The pleasure was all mine, Serena-rena." The girls waved at him before turning to walk towards the carriage.

*******

Serena and Rae arrived back home and entered the front door carefully. They were about to pass the den until a voice stopped them. "Where have you been?" Lady Beryl asked shrilly. The girls entered the den cautiously. "You've been gone for hours."

"We were at the market as I told you this morning, Mother," Rae answered.

Lady Beryl looked at them with disbelief. "Well where is the dress you were going to buy?"

Rae shifted uncomfortably. "Someone else bought the one I wanted already," she lied. "We looked everywhere for another one, but I didn't see one for my liking."

"Liar!" Lady Beryl shouted. "You didn't even take the money bag with you so how did you expect to pay for it?" Rae looked down in shame. "You forced this little wench to see that musician, didn't you?"

"Yes, Mother," Rae said still looking down at the ground.

"How dare you disobey me and talk with that commoner again, Rachel?" Lady Beryl shouted in Rae's face. "We are a dignified people and simply cannot be associated with people like him." Beryl turned her attention to Serena. "And to think you let her wander off! Just because you're a peasant does not mean you make my daughter act like one."

"She's not a peasant, Mother," Rae interrupted. "I made her to go into town with me and made her come with me to see Chad."

"Silence!" Beryl screeched as she slammed her fist onto a table. "Rachel Marie McFarland, you go to your room and stay in there until I tell you it's all right to come out. Now!" Rae bowed and exited the den quickly. "As for you, Cinderella you little wretch, you will be punished for not taking better care of my daughter. In addition to all of your daily chores, you will attend to every single personal need of either of my daughters from the moment they wake up to the moment they fall asleep. You will bathe them, clothe them, feed them, and do whatever else they ask of you. Is that understood?"

Serena sighed sadly. She wasn't sure things could get any worse, but at that moment it did. First she wasn't sure if she would see the man she loved ever again. And now this cruel punishment became a burden to her. "Yes, Stepmother," she said quietly.

"Now get out of my sight!" Beryl screamed. Serena obeyed and ran up the stairs to her room and locked her door before she cried herself to sleep.


	8. A Message

_Chapter 8_

Four months passed and spring had finally arrived. Serena never heard from Derek again and he was becoming a distant memory as she fell into the routine of doing all of her chores by herself again. One sunny morning, Serena finished feeding the animals and was headed back to the house. She was singing to herself as she carried a bucket back to the barn and was interrupted by a male voice. "Pardon me for interrupting your song, miss," he said kindly.

Serena turned around and realized that it was a messenger who had spoken to her. She smiled and curtsied before him. "How may I help you, sir?"

He pulled a letter from inside his coat pocket and handed it to her. "This is a letter sent by order of the king. Be sure that all of the ladies of the household read it." Serena nodded as he walked away. She grew curious about what the king would write to their family, but knew better than to open the letter.

Serena walked into the house and headed to the kitchen where Lady Beryl, Rae, and Ann were waiting to eat breakfast. She stopped at her stepmother's side. "What do you want?" Beryl snapped. "You have chores to do."

"A letter just arrived from the king," Serena said softly holding out the envelope.

Beryl snatched the letter from her and opened it hastily before reading over the contents. She suddenly smiled broadly. "The king is hosting a ball for all the ladies of the land in honor of his son," she announced.

Rae gasped. "Does this mean we get to meet the prince?" she asked excitedly.

"It means much more than that," Beryl said. "The prince is probably looking for a wife."

Ann clapped her hands together. "I could be the next queen! He will definitely fall in love with me. How could he resist?"

"He will be repulsed by you if you don't clean up a bit first, Anna Claire" Beryl stated. "The ball is tomorrow night so we must make preparations today. We shall go into town and buy new dresses and jewelry so that you girls look your best for him."

"How exciting!" Ann shouted with glee. "I'll get ready now so we can leave immediately." Ann got up from the table and headed upstairs.

Rae continued sitting at the table for a moment. "Why don't you follow your sister's example and make haste, Rachel?" Beryl complained. Rae rolled her eyes before following her mother's orders and went upstairs as her sister did. Beryl looked Serena up and down. "Why are you standing around, Cinderella? Go help my daughters get ready."

Serena sighed and looked directly into Beryl's eyes. She knew it was probably worthless to do something as bold as what she was about to do, but she tried anyway. "Stepmother, I was wondering if I may be allowed to attend the ball too," she finally said shyly. "The letter did say all the ladies of the land were invited." Serena prepared for the worst as she saw Beryl's eyes darken.

"That is the most ridiculous…" Beryl stopped herself as a plan formed in her mind. "The most ridiculously splendid idea I've ever heard," she ended with an evil tone. "You may attend the ball, Cinderella…"

Serena smiled. "Oh thank you, Stepmother…"

"Only _if_ you finish every last one of your chores by the time we are ready to depart tomorrow," Beryl added.

"Gladly," Serena said happily. "Thank you, Stepmother!" Serena ran upstairs to help her stepsisters get ready for the day. She knocked on Ann's door first. "Ann, it's me."

Ann opened the door slightly and poked her head out before glaring at Serena. "I don't need you right now," she said snottily. "I still think it's a stupid rule for you to bathe me and dress me each day. It's very…awkward." She slammed the door in Serena's face.

Serena smiled to herself as she headed to Rae's room next. She knocked gently. "Rae, are you decent?" she asked through the door. The door opened and Rae ushered Serena inside before closing the door behind her. "Do you need me to help you get dressed?"

Rae smiled at her. "I just need that back zipper pulled up. Can you help me?" Serena came behind her and pulled the zipper up easily. "Thank you, Serena." Rae sighed and sat on her bed.

"What's wrong, Rae?" Serena asked sitting in front of her on the floor.

"I was excited about this ball because I've always wanted to meet the prince," Rae started. "But when Mother said that he's possibly looking for a wife it didn't sound so appealing anymore."

"Because you're still in love with Chad?" Serena asked.

Rae nodded. "Oh Serena, I love him so much. I want to marry him, but Mother will never hear of it. It's already hard enough sneaking around to see him every night."

Serena gasped. "You've been having secret a rendezvous with him?" she asked curiously.

"Since that day Mother found out I went to see him at the market," Rae confessed.

"You should still go to the ball," Serena said. "Even if you're not interested in the prince, I'm sure it would be an amazing experience to at least meet him. Maybe you could even share a dance together."

"I guess so," Rae said. "I heard you ask Mother if you could go. What did she say?"

Serena sighed. "I know she was about to tell me no, but she suddenly changed her mind and said I could only if I finish all my chores by the time you all are ready to leave tomorrow night."

Rae crossed her arms. "I know you want to go. If it will help, I won't ask you to do anything for me unless it's absolutely urgent."

Serena smiled at her. "I appreciate that."

"Do you have anything to wear? You can borrow one of my dresses if you need to."

"I'm sure there's something in my room." Serena stood up and sighed. "I'd better get to work before I fall behind. I'll see you this evening, Rae."

"Good luck," Rae said before Serena left the room. She felt bad for Serena and wished that there was something she could do for her. Rae suddenly brightened up when an idea came to her.

*******

Serena worked hard to finish all of her chores while Beryl, Rae, and Ann were shopping in town. It took her half the day to finish everything, but she finished early and went to her room in the attic to find something. She opened her bottom drawer and carefully pulled out an old gray box setting it on her bed. She dug through the same drawer but couldn't find what she was looking for. "I could have sworn it was in here," Serena muttered to herself. She turned around and found Luna nibbling at the box on her bed curiously. "Luna," Serena scolded gently pulling the box away from her. "This box holds Mother's favorite jewelry." She opened the box slowly and took out the silver necklace and earrings. They were very dirty from not being used for so long, but not impossible to fix. Serena took out a rag and some polish to begin cleaning the special jewelry.

"What do you think Luna?" Serena asked after she finished polishing the necklace. It sparkled in the sunset and looked almost like new. Luna meowed in approval. "It is beautiful, but I still need to find something to wear. I wish I knew where that dress went." Serena sighed as she put the necklace back down and heard a carriage coming towards the house. Luna purred as she rubbed her body against Serena's legs. "I guess I'll worry about it tomorrow."

*******

Serena worked twice as hard as she did the day before. Beryl kept her busy with double the amount of chores and demanded that she drop whatever she was doing to take care of Rae and Ann's needs as they requested. Ann took advantage of this rule and ordered Serena around with an impossible amount of tasks. "Cinderella, mend my dress then do my makeup and hair!"

"Yes Ann," Serena said as she began to quickly sew Ann's bright pink dress. "How is that?"

"It'll do," Ann said as she sat down by the vanity. Serena got Ann's makeup kit and immediately began work on her face. "Use the pink lipstick and eye shadow to match my dress."

Serena nodded and carefully but quickly did the girl's makeup. She held a mirror in front of her. "Do you like it?"

Ann admired herself in the mirror. She knew that Serena could have been defiant and made her look like a wreck, but she was grateful that she didn't. She had to admit that Serena did a wonderful job. "It's lovely," Ann said. "What do you think should be done with my hair?"

Serena thought for a moment as she looked at Ann carefully. "Curls would do wonders for you," she finally said honestly.

Ann smiled at her. "I think I can manage that. Thank you, Ser-Cinderella. I don't need you now." She pushed Serena out the door and slammed it shut.

Serena shook her head and went into Rae's room. "Rae, do you need anything?" Serena asked.

Rae turned around and rolled her eyes at Serena. "I told you I'd only ask if it's urgent. Go do the rest of your chores so you can go to the ball."

Serena nodded, but stopped when she saw Rae experimenting with her hair. "I think a braided crown would look nice on you," she said.

Rae smiled in the mirror. "Thank you, Serena. Now get out."

Serena went downstairs to continue the rest of her chores. All she had left to do was scrub the floors and wash the indoor windows. She finished in record time and had an hour before it was time for the family to leave. She went to see her stepmother in the den. "Stepmother," Serena said breathlessly. "I finished all my chores."

Beryl simply glared at her. "Did you clean the chimneys?"

Serena frowned. "You didn't tell me to do that this morning."

"Well I'm telling you now. Get to it!" Beryl smiled evilly as Serena nodded and rushed away.

She gathered the chimney brush, the bucket, and the rag and quickly cleaned all of the chimneys. She was finally cleaning the last chimney in the family room and was brushing hastily as the soot came smoothly into the bucket. But she moved the brush the wrong way and caused a large pile of soot to come tumbling all over her body. Serena frowned and swept it all into the bucket before reporting to her stepmother in the hallway.

"Don't come any closer," Beryl said coldly as she caught sight of Serena coming towards her. She was standing in front of the door with Ann and Rae ready to go. "You'll get us all dirty."

"I finished the chimneys," Serena said quietly.

"It seems as though you did," Beryl said snidely.

"She kept her end of the bargain," Rae said happily. "Now she can go to the ball."

"But she's filthy," Ann said disgustedly. "She can't go looking like that."

Serena's heart sank. "She's right," Beryl said. "By the time you attempt to clean up we'll be too late to go to the ball." Serena looked down to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Don't worry, dear. It's better that you don't go at all. Someone like you would never fit in. You'd disgrace our family name. I expect you to clean all of that soot you tracked in my family room. Goodbye Cinderella."

Beryl and Ann went out the door while Rae lingered behind. "Don't listen to her," Rae said placing a comforting hand on Serena's shoulder. "She's just scared because she knows that you're the best one of us all."

"Your glove has soot on it," Serena said quietly as she took Rae's hand from her shoulder and started to wipe it clean. "Get going before you're late."

Rae snatched her hand away. "Serena you can still make it…"

"Go!" Serena shouted. Rae was startled into submission and ran to the carriage where her family was waiting. Serena collapsed on the ground after the door closed and sobbed like there was no tomorrow.


	9. Fairy Godmothers in Disguise

_Chapter 9_

Serena was still crying half an hour later as she scrubbed the floors in the family room clean. After finishing the last spot she threw the brush down and knelt in front of a nearby chair. Never in her life had she felt so angry towards her stepmother. Her words continued to repeat in her head until Serena reached the point where she was sobbing again. Suddenly the doorbell rang. Serena stood up and went to the door not caring about her appearance. _Who could that be?_ She wondered to herself. She opened the door and came face to face with Lita the cook and two other women, one with short blue hair and the other with long blonde hair. "Lita," Serena said in surprise. "What are you doing here? Everyone went to the ball already."

"Apparently you didn't," Lita said as she let herself in. "What did that witch say to you to make you so upset, Serena? You look horrible."

Serena started crying again as Lita hugged her and led her to the sofa in the den. "She promised that I could go to the ball if I did all my chores," Serena started.

"Yeah, I heard that promise yesterday when I was making breakfast," Lita stated.

"I went above and beyond and did everything she asked me to including attending to Rae and Ann's needs. I finished everything with an hour to spare, but Stepmother told me to clean the chimneys. I was rushing and all of the soot in the last chimney fell all over me. I finished cleaning it as everyone was about to leave, but she told me I was too dirty to go and…" Serena started crying again.

"And what, honey?" Lita urged her to continue.

"She pretty much told me I wasn't good enough to go in the first place."

"That is a lie and she knows it," the blue haired woman said suddenly.

"Yes, you are just as worthy to go to that ball as they are," the blonde one added.

Serena looked up at the two women. "I appreciate your kind words, but who are you?"

Lita smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. "How rude of me. I didn't even introduce you to my best friends. This is Amy Anderson and Mina Adams."

"I tutor your stepsisters," Amy said. "I've seen you around, but I've never had the chance to speak with you."

"And I give those girls voice lessons," Mina added. "Ann is a horrible student, but Rae has potential. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Why are all of you here?" Serena asked. "Everyone you associate with is at the ball."

"We're here to get you ready to go to the ball yourself," Mina said excitedly.

"Lita asked us to help," Amy said.

"It was actually all Rae's idea," Lita explained. "She ran into me at the market yesterday. She gave me her personal savings and told me to get that beautiful dress of yours mended for you and to rent a small carriage."

"She did all that for me?" Serena said in surprise.

"Everything is right outside," Amy said cheerfully. "Come see." The four of them walked out of the front door and Serena's eyes widened. In front of her was a magnificent white carriage big enough to carry her in. A white stallion was waiting to draw the carriage with its horseman.

"And here is your dress," Mina said as she took it out of the carriage. Serena gasped when she caught sight of her mother's wedding dress. It looked good as new with spaghetti straps and sparkles that ran all the way down to the end where it could flow to her feet.

"It's beautiful," Serena breathed at last.

"Not as beautiful as it's going to be when you wear it," Lita said. "Let's hurry and get you ready." The ladies went back inside and helped Serena clean up. They bathed her and brushed her long hair after carefully placing the dress on her. Mina did her makeup while Amy and Lita worked on a hairstyle for her. After they were finished, the three women stepped back and admired their work.

"Serena, you look lovely," Amy said in awe.

"Something is still missing," Lita said tapping a finger on her chin.

"I know!" Mina said suddenly. She went back outside and came back in with a tiara and a pair of glass slippers. "This was my mother's," she explained placing the tiarra on her head. "I'm sure you will put it to good use along with these slippers."

"Rae had those custom made for your tiny feet," Lita commented.

"I need something else," Serena said. "There's a small jewelry box on my bed in the attic. It has my mother's jewelry in it."

"I'll get it for you," Amy said as she ran up the stairs. She returned a few minutes later and carefully placed the earrings in Serena's ears and the necklace around Serena's neck.

"Now you're ready," Mina said happily. "Take a look." She led Serena to a full sized mirror.

Serena stared at her reflection in amazement. She hardly recognized herself; if she didn't know better, she would think that she was royalty. "Thank you all so much," Serena said gratefully.

"You need to thank Rae," Lita said. "Now hurry up and get to your carriage so you can get to that ball on time." They all went outside again and helped Serena inside.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Amy said suddenly. "I was giving Rae and Ann a short lesson yesterday and I overheard that they agreed to return home from the ball around 1am. If you want to stay out of trouble, I suggest you leave by midnight."

"Thank you for the warning Amy," Serena said. "Thank you all for everything."

"Have fun Serena," Mina said happily.

"Let me know how it goes," Lita added. She, Amy, and Mina waved goodbye as Serena's carriage left for the palace.


	10. The Ball

_Chapter 10_

Serena started getting nervous as the palace finally came into view. _What if Stepmother sees me? What if the prince doesn't like who he sees? What if I trip and fall?_ All of these questions and more ran through her head until the carriage finally came to a stop.

The door opened and an escort helped Serena out. "You are just in time, Madam," he said to her. "All of the women are being introduced to the prince." He led her through the castle towards the ballroom. Serena was in awe of her surroundings. The halls she walked through were decorated elaborately with beautiful paintings. Pictures of kings from generations past to present were hanging in neat order, but it was dark and hard to see the picture of the prince. "We're here, Madam," the escort said.

Serena turned around and was at the entrance to a brightly lit room where many people were gathered. "Thank…" she started to say to the escort, but he was already gone. Serena looked in the ballroom again and noticed a line of ladies for the first time.

"Presenting Rachel Marie and Anna Claire McFarland, daughters of Lady Beryl McFarland," a man's voice said. Serena squinted to see Rae and Ann approaching the throne to a very bored looking prince. He seemed polite enough as he bowed before each sister, but it looked like Ann was embarrassing herself and Rae was trying to hold back her laughter. He suddenly took Rae's hand and went to dance with her while Ann pouted and walked back to where Lady Beryl was standing.

Serena decided that was her cue to enter now that her stepsisters were distracted. "All right, Serena," she muttered to herself. "Just relax…" She took a deep breath and entered the ballroom at the top of the stairs, but stopped to admire her surroundings.

*******

The prince sighed as a couple of sisters curtsied in front of him. He stood up and bowed before them in the same manner as all the other girls. "Thank you for attending the ball," he said in a rehearsed tone. "I am honored that you came."

"It's an honor to be in your presence, Your Majesty," Ann said. "You are so much more handsome up close." The prince looked at her in confusion. "Not to say that you aren't handsome from far away… I mean I don't stalk you or anything… I mean…" Ann looked embarrassed as she continued to stumble over her words.

The prince shook his head and looked towards her sister who looked like she was holding back laughter. He smiled at her politely. _She seems nice enough to dance with_. He had been choosing random girls to dance with to give off the appearance that he was considering them for his father's sake. In truth he was waiting for someone special. "May I have this dance?" he asked Rae as he extended his hand towards her.

"I'd be delighted," Rae said before he led her to the dance floor. They waltzed together in silence and Rae was not extremely impressed. She sensed something about the prince when she looked him over once. He was dressed in royal garbs and had intense blue eyes and combed back black hair. Recognition suddenly struck her. "It's you," she whispered.

The prince was confused. "Whatever do you mean?" The music suddenly stopped and everyone stopped chattering. He stopped dancing with Rae and noticed everyone looking towards the top of the stairs. "What can possibly have everyone's attention so…" he stopped himself when he looked up and caught sight of what everyone was looking at. It was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life, but she was oblivious to what was going on because she was taking in all of her surroundings. _It's her _he thought excitedly. He smiled broadly, dropped Rae's hand, and went to the top of the stairs to meet her.

If it was another occasion Rae would have taken offense to the prince's behavior, but seeing the woman at the top of the stairs brought a smile to her face. _She made it_ she thought happily as she went to stand with her mother and sister.

*******

Serena was still in awe of how elegant the ballroom was. The chandeliers seemed to go on for miles and the paintings on the ceilings were amazing. _I can't believe I'm here_ she thought for the millionth time that night. She looked down the stairs and panicked briefly. She noticed that all the music stopped and all eyes were on her including her stepmother. _Oh no I've caused a scene _she thought dreadfully. _Am I not supposed to stand here? Does Stepmother recognize me?_ A tap on the shoulder interrupted her thoughts. She turned around and came face to face with the prince himself. He had intense blue eyes and deep black hair that was combed back. She could have sworn she saw those eyes somewhere before, but she couldn't remember where. "It's a pleasure to be here, Your Majesty," Serena finally said quietly before curtsying.

The prince took her hand and kissed it. "The pleasure is all mine," he said. "Would you care to dance with me?" He led her to the dance floor before she had a chance to answer as the music started again and people resumed their conversations.

As Serena danced with the prince, she could hear the whispers of people around her. "Who is she?" "She must be royalty from another land." "She's so beautiful and graceful." Serena just smiled as she danced with the prince and enjoyed her time in the spotlight for once. They ended up dancing together for hours before they finally took a break.

"I think I am all danced out," the prince commented. "Let's go outside for some fresh air."

Serena nodded as he led her out the back door to a garden filled with various flowers. "This is beautiful," she said in awe.

"It doesn't compare to you," the prince said never taking his eyes off of her. Serena blushed. He spun her around and got a good look at her. "Do you know how beautiful you look under the moonlight tonight?" he asked as he turned her to face him.

"I'm not that pretty," Serena said looking down. "It's just the dress and the makeup."

"No it isn't," the prince said leading her to a bench and sitting them both down. He cupped her chin and made her look up at him. "It wouldn't have mattered how you dressed tonight because you'd still be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." The prince stared into Serena's eyes for a few moments. "Forgive me for being forward," he said inching closer to her face. "But there is something that I've been wanting to do for a long time."

"And what's that?" Serena asked softly as she inched closer to him. The prince finally closed the gap between their faces and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. Serena wasn't sure what to say. The prince just kissed her and seemed to enjoy it. "Thank you," she finally said softly.

He smiled at her innocence. "I have something I must tell you…" The clock suddenly struck loudly and he noticed his companion tense up.

"Oh dear, what time is it?" Serena asked frantically as she looked at the tower clock. It read midnight. "I'm terribly sorry Your Majesty, but I must leave. Goodbye." She started running back to where they had come from and the prince ran after her.

"Wait!" he yelled as they ran through the ballroom. _I didn't finish_. He ran as fast as he could determined to catch up with her.

Serena was a good distance ahead of the prince and was running down the palace steps until she felt one of her slippers come off. _Oh not now_ she thought in despair. She quickly ran back up the steps to retrieve her shoe. When she got to the step where the shoe was a few steps from the top, the prince stopped at the top of the stairs. Serena looked up and froze. All of the running they did made both of them look a bit disheveled and the prince's hair was out of its neat style. His bangs now fell messily in his face almost covering his eyes. She instantly remembered why his eyes looked so familiar; they belonged to Derek. Serena snapped out of her stupor and ran away even faster without her shoe.

"Please wait," the prince practically begged as Serena ran into her carriage. By the time he reached the street, the carriage had already taken off leaving him behind. The prince bent down and rested his hands on his thighs to catch his breath. "I love you," he said quietly. He went back up the stairs and picked up the shoe she left behind. _I will find you, my love._ He went back inside the palace holding the shoe like a priceless treasure.

*******

Serena held her face in her hands as the carriage rode down the street. She was still shocked by her discovery that the man she fell in love with so long ago was actually the prince. _Derek is the prince_ she thought for the thousandth time. She knew in the back of her mind that she was still in love with Derek and being with him at the ball tonight made it reality, but there was still a problem. Serena wasn't sure if he recognized her. _What if he just fell in love with the woman in the beautiful dress and forgot all about me?_ She groaned loudly. _It was just too good to be true, but it doesn't matter now. I'll never see him again anyway._ Serena sighed heavily and began taking off all the makeup and jewelry.

**Author's notes: Yes, I'm leaving you with a cliffhanger. There are 2 chapters left and an epilogue. What do you think? I appreciate feedback and constructive criticism. **


	11. Another Message

**Author's notes: It's finally here! Sorry to keep you waiting...I had computer issues then stressful family issues, but the story is done! Have fun reading the last few chapters and let me know what you think!**

_Chapter 11_

The next day Serena was in Rae's room helping her get ready talking about the ball excitedly. "Rae, I can't thank you enough for all you did for me yesterday," Serena said as she brushed Rae's hair.

"Don't mention it," Rae said dismissively. "How was it dancing with the prince?"

Serena smiled. "It was amazing. He told me I was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but I'm sure it was just because of the makeup and dress."

"No," Rae said knowingly. "I think he meant it."

"Well it doesn't matter anyway," Serena said setting the brush down. "I'm never going to see him again anyway."

"You don't know that," Rae said turning to face her. "Like I told you before if it's true love, then he'll come back to you."

"How do you know it's true love?" Serena asked curiously. Rae simply smiled knowingly.

The doorbell was suddenly heard. "Cinderella!" Lady Beryl's voice called from downstairs. "Hurry up and get the door!"

"You need to stand up to her someday, Serena," Rae said seriously. "You aren't a slave."

Serena nodded before exiting the room and running downstairs to get the door. She opened the door and found a messenger standing there. "Hello, how may I help you?" she asked.

"I have come to deliver a letter on behalf of the prince," he said as he took a letter out of his pocket.

"The prince?" Serena asked aloud. She heard footsteps coming behind her and then was pushed out of the way by Lady Beryl.

"I am the lady of the house," Lady Beryl said. "What does the prince have to say?"

"The prince is looking for the woman who left her slipper behind at the ball," the messenger explained. "The duke is coming to every house to find the owner of the slipper. The prince has declared that whichever maiden fits the shoe will become his wife."

Lady Beryl snatched the letter from him and slammed the door in his face. She tore open the letter and read exactly what the messenger told her. "Go get your stepsisters!" she ordered Serena. Serena went upstairs and informed Rae and Ann of the news. When they came downstairs, Beryl continued barking orders. "Girls, you must get ready for the prince's arrival immediately. He is coming here today. You must look presentable."

"I don't need to mother," Rae protested. "I'm not the one the prince wants to marry and neither is Ann."

"So what?" Ann said. "If my foot fits in that shoe then I'll get to marry the prince."

"How?" Rae challenged. "Those shoes were custom made for the one who was wearing them."

"And how would you know?" Ann countered.

Rae thought quickly. "I saw how small that girl's feet were. Those shoes couldn't possibly fit anyone else."

"You just don't want me to marry the prince," Ann accused loudly. "You're jealous that I'm more beautiful than you."

Rae gasped. "I am not jealous of you. I just don't think that you deserve to be the princess."

"You don't deserve to be the princess either," Ann said.

"I don't even want to be the princess anyway!" Rae shouted.

"Girls, enough!" Beryl finally shouted cutting short their argument. "There's no time for this bickering and arguing. Rachel, you get ready whether you like it or not. Anna Claire, you just keep your big mouth shut. Cinderella...!" Beryl looked around and noticed that Serena was missing. "Cinderella, where are you? You need to attend to your duties." She stopped talking when she heard faint singing going up the stairs. She followed the voice and saw Serena going towards her room.

*******

Serena left the room when Rae said Ann didn't deserve to be the princess and went to get ready for Derek's arrival. She had a song in her heart and was so excited and nervous that he was coming back for her. She drifted off to her own thoughts and was unaware that her stepmother was following her. She arrived in her room and started cleaning herself off as best she could. "Oh Luna," she said to her cat picking her up. "He's really coming for me. I can't believe it."

"Who's coming for you?" Beryl said at the door startling Serena.

"The prince," Serena said in fright.

Beryl started cackling. "Impossible! You weren't even at the ball. Don't go crowding your mind with a stupid fantasy, wench."

Serena finally had enough and decided it was time to take a stand. "It's not a fantasy and I'm not a wench, Stepmother. The man I love is coming for me and he'll take me away from you forever. You'll have to find a real slave instead of me, your own stepdaughter. You should have loved me all these years instead of treat me like garbage."

Beryl's eyes darkened. "How dare you talk to me like that? No one is coming to get you as long as I'm in charge. I hope you're comfortable here because this is where you will be staying for a long, long time." Beryl slammed the door shut and locked it.

Serena ran to the door and frantically tried to open it. "No, Stepmother," she cried knocking on the door. "Please let me out. I can't stay here."

Beryl laughed and walked away with the key in her hand. "I'll let you out when I'm ready."

Serena heard her footsteps get quieter and started crying. Luna purred beside her. "I guess he'll never come now," Serena sniffled. She quieted down when she heard her stepfamily's voices coming through the vents.

*******

"Where's Cinderella?" Ann asked. "I need her to fix my dress."

"She's in her room where she belongs," Beryl explained. "She's not coming out until I say so. Rachel, hold on to the key."

Rae rolled her eyes as she was handed the key. "Yes, Mother," she gritted out. She was about to sneak away to rescue Serena, but the doorbell rang. _Hold on Serena._

"Act your best girls!" Beryl commanded before opening the door. The duke was standing there with a tiny glass slipper sitting on a pillow. "Where is the prince?" she asked him rudely.

The duke rolled his eyes at her. He was having a bad enough day and was not in the mood for more people to be rude to him. "He had important business to take care of so he sent me on his behalf," he answered as he let himself in. He took a seat in the den and summarized the decree that was in his pocket. "As I'm sure you know, the prince is willing to marry the woman who fits this slipper. He has asked that every maiden in every house in the whole district try it on."

"Well, my two daughters are here," Beryl said shoving Ann and Rae forward. "I know one of them has a shoe that looks like that."

"It's mine!" Ann shouted. "I know the prince will be delighted to be reunited with me."

The duke looked at her skeptically. "Well let's try the shoe on." Ann sat on a chair and removed one of her slippers. _Her foot looks much too big _he thought as he knelt to put the shoe on her foot. The glass slipper hardly covered her toes. "I'm sorry, Madam, but this is not your shoe."

"Of course it is!" Ann said kicking him out the way. "My feet are just so swollen from all the dancing we did together." Ann tried hard to squeeze her foot into the shoe, but to no avail. She finally gave up and pouted.

The duke wiped off the shoe carefully and looked up at Rae. "Madam, is this your shoe then?" he asked desperately.

Rae shook her head no. "I can see that this slipper is much too small for my foot," she explained. "My foot is a half size bigger than my sister's."

The duke looked down in despair. "Then who does it belong to? I've tried this shoe on every woman today and this is the last house in the district. Lady, are you sure there isn't another maiden in this house who may try on this slipper?"

Beryl looked at him angrily. "No, not even a scullery maid."

"Liar!" Rae shouted. "Sir my stepsister lives in this house, but she is locked in the attic. Mother was planning to make her stay there until who knows when so she wouldn't have a chance."

"Take me to her," the Duke commanded. Rae nodded before she began to lead the Duke to the attic. Beryl and Ann followed close behind.

"It's foolish to try the slipper on her foot," Beryl tried to argue as they reached the attic. "She's a mad woman."

The Duke looked at her sternly as they stopped in front of the door. "The prince specifically ordered me to try the slipper on _every_ maiden despite the circumstances. Please open the door."

Rae nodded and unlocked the door finding Serena sitting on her bed sadly with a black cat. "Serena, the Duke wants to try the slipper on you."

The Duke smiled at her politely. _She seems normal to me._ He knelt before her with the slipper in his hand, but Beryl rushed in before he had a chance to put the slipper on her foot. She kicked it out of his hand causing it to smash on the ground into a million pieces. "How could you?" the Duke said brokenly.

"Mother that was a perfectly stylish shoe and you ruined it!" Ann complained.

"It doesn't matter," Beryl said proudly. "Cinderella wasn't at the ball anyway so the Duke would have been wasting his time."

"No he wouldn't have," Rae protested. "Look." Everyone turned and saw that Serena had a glass slipper in her hands. Rae smiled, Ann gasped, the duke breathed a sigh of relief, and Beryl growled.

"This is the other shoe," Serena said shyly before putting it on. "I kept it under my pillow."

"It was you the whole time?" Ann asked in amazement. "How clever."

The Duke smiled broadly. "Young lady, please ride back to the castle with me. The prince will be delighted to see you." Serena followed the Duke outside to his carriage while Rae and Ann followed closely. Beryl groaned loudly in defeat and sulked in her room.

"Thank you for everything Rae," Serena said hugging her tightly.

Rae smiled. "You deserved it."

"Take care of yourself, Ann," Serena said hugging her.

"Do you think we'll be allowed to see you at the castle?" Ann said shyly.

"We'll have to wait and see," Serena said unsurely. "I'm not even sure the prince will accept me."

"He will," Rae said. "I just know he loves you."

"And all you have to do is be yourself, Cinder… I mean Serena," Ann added. "We all know your gentleness and kindness outshines us all so go get him."

Serena smiled and hugged her stepsisters again. "Thank you. I'll put in a good word for you both." Serena stepped into the carriage and waved to Rae and Ann as it started moving.

Rae and Ann continued waving as the carriage went through the gate. "How do you know he loves her?" Ann asked curiously. "Were you just saying that to make her feel better?"

"It's definitely true love," Rae said wisely. She proceeded to tell her sister about Serena's love story from the beginning.


	12. The Reunion

_Chapter 12_

"Prince Darien, you're finally here," the Duke said as he stepped into the main hall. "We have found her."

Darien's eyes brightened as he smiled widely. "Y-you did?"

"It took me all day to search the entire district, but we found her."

Darien looked at him in confusion. "But I told you exactly where she lived when I left this morning."

The Duke looked at him in shock. "You did?" Darien nodded. "I believe you told me as you were riding away this morning to search every house to the ends of the district."

"No I said to search the house at the end of the district."

The Duke thought about it for a moment. The prince was rididng away when he gave his instructions and it was hard to hear what he was saying since he was in such a rush. All he could make out was end of the district and he interpreted the message from there. "My apologies your majesty," he said bowing before him.

Darien smiled and patted his shoulder. "There's no need to apologize as long as you found her. Where is she?"

"She's waiting for you in the garden."

"Since you worked so hard, I'll give you the rest of today and tomorrow off. I apologize for the confusion. Go rest."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The Duke said shaking Darien's hand.

Darien immediately ran outside towards the garden to search for the woman of his dreams after briefly checking his appearance in the mirror. He dusted off invisible dirt from his royal garbs and raked a hand through his black hair that hung loosely around his head. When he arrived in the garden, he stopped at the trellis and just stood there staring at the back of a girl dressed in rags with blonde hair. He could have stayed there staring at her all day. He reminisced about all the time he spent helping her with her chores. He remembered the first time he held her when she couldn't visit her father's grave. He smiled knowing now that he would be able to hold her in his arms whenever he wanted. Darien didn't want to disturb her so he tried to approach her quietly, but failed when he accidentally stepped on a twig that snapped in half. The girl turned around quickly hearing the sound and gentle cornflower eyes met intense blue ones. Darien's heart swelled with pride seeing Cinderella's beautiful face again and for a moment he could do nothing but stare at her. After coming out of his stupor, he finally spoke. "Cinderella, it's you," he said gently.

Serena stood and curtsied before him. "Yes, it is I." _He sounds relieved._

He smiled at her. "There's no need for all of the formalities. Just be yourself." Serena half smiled at him. "My name is Darien," he said extending his hand to her.

"We've already met," Serena said shaking his hand.

"But that was under different circumstances when I wasn't being completely truthful. I haven't properly introduced myself to you." He bowed and looked up at her respectfully. "My name is Darien Endymion McKnight. What may I ask is your name? I am certain that Cinderella is not your true name."

Serena smiled at him. "My name is Serena Adeline Davidson."

"Serena…" he said enunciating each syllable carefully as though trying it out. "Serena most definitely fits you better." He stood there staring at her with something akin to admiration for her and smiled. "It's a beautiful name for someone like you."

"It's a shame I'm not more beautiful," she muttered quietly.

"Pardon?" he asked her in confusion hearing what she said.

"Look at you and look at me. You're the prince for heaven's sake and I'm just…me. The girl you were attracted last night was the one who was dressed for the ball, not the girl standing before you." Serena heard her voice break and was embarrassed that she was now crying in front of him.

Darien frowned as he stepped closer to her and hugged her while she cried. He hated that she had these thoughts and was determined to help her understand the depths of his heart. "You're very wrong," Darien said as he wiped her tears away. "You were beautiful last night, but I'm more attracted to you now more than ever." He led them to a seat on the bench. "I knew it was you last night. I recognized you right away, but I didn't get a chance to explain because you ran away."

"How did you know?" Serena asked uncertainly.

"It was your eyes. I'd recognize them anywhere. Just looking into your beautiful eyes made me relive the moment I fell in love with you... on the day I met you at the well."

"Really?" she asked with new hope in her voice.

Darien nodded earnestly. "Really. You've never been more beautiful than you were right then. The more time I spent with you the more I fell in love with your loving, kind, gentle, sweet spirit. It tore me apart to have to stay away from you while Mother was ill. I thought about you each and every day. Do you want to know a secret?" Serena nodded. "I was thankful that Mother got over her illness and I really wanted to see you again, but I was afraid to leave her. So I got an idea to throw a ball under the pretense of finding a suitable wife. What everyone didn't know was that I was really looking for you. It was like heaven to be reunited with you and fall in love all over again. And to have you here in my arms right now makes everything right in my world. I love you, Serena."

Serena couldn't believe it. Darien had thrown the ball to find her and he loved her. He truly loved her! She was so afraid that he never really cared about her, but knowing that he loved her brought about a new pride within her. As tears filled her eyes, she could no longer contain the love for him she felt building in her heart. "Oh Darien, I love you too," Serena said before crying into his chest. "I was so scared I'd never see you again and that you forgot about me and…"

"Never, my love," Darien said rubbing her back gently. "I apologize for putting you through so much. I should have found a better way to tell you. But you have nothing to fear now. I'll promise to never leave you again." Darien took both of her hands into his own as Serena looked up at him and smiled. "I love you and there's no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with." He got down on one knee and knelt in front of her. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a beautiful diamond ring. "Will you marry me Serena Adeline Davidson?"

"Yes, Darien," she said before kneeling beside him. Darien carefully placed the ring around her and then proceeded to give her a long but gentle kiss. They broke apart slowly and rested their foreheads against each other staring into each other's eyes.

"I love you," Darien said before hugging her tightly. "Always and forever."

Serena was ecstatic as she admired the new ring around her finger. _It's a dream come true_ she thought contently to herself. "I love you too, Darien."

**Author's notes: I hope this reunion didn't come out lame. I was having a little trouble writing it, but it's here.**


	13. Happily Ever After: Epilogue

_Chapter 13/Epilogue_

A huge wedding happened a few weeks later and everyone in the kingdom was invited. The king decided that he loved Serena so much that he would walk her down the aisle. He instantly fell in love with her personality when he met her at dinner the day she came to the castle. He was surprised at first that she was dressed like a simple commoner, but he was pleased that his son had finally found someone to love and make him happy. Serena made her way down the aisle with the king holding a large bouquet of roses in an elaborate white wedding dress.

Lady Beryl refused to come to the wedding. She decided to move far away from the kingdom a few days before the wedding because she couldn't stand the fact that her stepdaughter would rule over her. Rae and Ann were sitting in the middle rows with their lovers. Rae was smiling from ear to ear sitting next to her fiancé, Chad and watched Serena walk down the aisle proudly. On the day after Serena left, Rae came forward and told her mother that she was in love with Chad and that they were planing to get married. Beryl ended up kicking Rae out of the house along with Ann who confessed a week later that she was in love with a flute player named Alan. Ann was introduced to Alan by Chad when she came with Rae to see him at the market a few days after Serena went to the castle. Ever since that first meeting they had become inseparable and fell deeply in love. Serena smiled when she remembered that Ann told her that they were planning elope together.

Serena continued walking down the aisle and was only a few feet away from Darien when she caught sight of Lita, Amy, and Mina watching her happily from the front row with their husbands. Lita agreed to cater any event Serena and Darien were hosting, but in the mean time she happy opened a successful bakery and flower shop with her husband Ken. Amy offered to personally tutor Serena's children when the time came, but at the moment she was still tutoring various students while her husband Greg continued work as a doctor. Mina volunteered to design clothes while continuing to give voice lessons to various clients and sell shoes in her husband Andrew's private shoe making shop. Serena smiled gratefully at all three of them as she finally approached Darien at the altar.

The king watched joyfully as Darien took hold of Serena's hands in both of his own after giving her away to him. The guests were seated and the ceremony finally began. "Dearly beloved," the priest began. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of Prince Darien Endymion McKnight and Serena Adeline Davidson..."

The priest continued with his opening remarks, but Serena and Darien were half listening as they focused on each other with love and devotion. "I love you, Serena," Darien mouthed.

Serena smiled at him as she caressed his hands. "I love you too, Darien," she mouthed back.

"Darien," the priest said getting his attention. "Will you have Serena to be your wife, to live together as friend and mate? Will you love her as a person, respect her as an equal, sharing joy as well as sorrow, triumph as well as defeat. And keep her beside you as long as you both shall live?"

Darien smiled and squeezed her hands. "I do."

"And Serena," the priest said turning in her direction. "Will you have Darien to be your husband, to live together as friend and mate? Will you love him as a person, respect him as an equal, sharing joy as well as sorrow, triumph as well as defeat. And keep him beside you as long as you both shall live?"

Serena looked directly at Darien and smiled. "I do," she said proudly.

"Now for the wedding vows," the priest said. "Prince Darien, please start."

"I, Darien, take you Serena, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part: according to God's holy ordinance, and thereto I pledge you my love and faithfulness."

"And I, Serena, take you Darien, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part: according to God's holy ordinance, and thereto I pledge you my love and faithfulness."

"The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity," the priest continued. "It is an outward sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love. And now as a token of your love and of your deep desire to be forever united in heart and soul, you Darien, may place a ring on the finger of your bride."

Darien smiled at Serena as he slid the ring on her finger. "Serena, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With this ring, I thee wed."

Serena slid the ring onto Darien's finger and smiled. "Darien, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With this ring, I thee wed."

"Because Darien and Serena have desired each other in marriage, and have witnessed this before God and our gathering, affirming their acceptance of the responsibilities of such a union, and have pledged their love and faith to each other, sealing their vows in the giving and receiving of rings, I do proclaim that they are husband and wife in the sight of God and man. Let all people here and everywhere recognize and respect this holy union, now and forever." The priest smiled at the two of them before continuing. "You may now kiss your bride," he finally said. Darien happily removed Serena's veil and kissed her passionately as applause filled the room. "Ladies and gentlemen please join me in honoring your royal highnesses, Prince Darien Endymion and Princess Serena Adeline McKnight!"

Applause filled the room again as Serena and Darien walked hand in hand down the aisle out of the church. They were followed by an entourage of trumpet players and flower throwers as an escort helped them both into the carriage and closed the door behind them. "I love you, Princess Serena," Darien said taking her hands into his.

"I love you too, Prince Darien." They shared a long kiss together as the carriage started moving away from the palace symbolizing the beginning of a long life together lived happily ever after.

_**The End**_

**Author's notes: So...how did you like it? Did everything make sense? This is pretty much the epilogue, but it got longer than I thought it would so it's technically another chapter. :-) Feedback and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.**


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